This invention relates to a method of manufacturing contact spring sockets with a plurality of radially inward bowed contact springs clamped at one end in an approximately cylindrical socket body, formed by a thin-walled deformable sleeve, wherein straight contact springs, formed by sections of a contact spring wire, are introduced into the socket body from one socket end, wherein the fastening in the socket body of the contact springs at their front ends in an aligned state relative to each other, to a central annular head at the front end of a line connector projecting into the socket body, is achieved by means of deformation of the socket material, and wherein the free ends of the contact springs are brought into supporting abutment on an annulus at the pin insertion end, which is associated with an assembly mandrel passing through it, which is coaxially introduced into the socket body during manufacture, and finally withdrawn from it.
A method of this type which belongs to the state of the art, according to which contact spring sockets of particularly small construction can be manufactured, is described in the Patent application P33 42 742.9-34 which is not a prior publication. This method uses sleeves with a wall thickness of 0.1 mm, economically prefabricated by drawing, which can easily be deformed from outside. After introduction of the contact springs the sockets are provided with a radially inward projecting annular indentation at each of two spaced apart regions axially offset relative to the annulus and the annular head respectively. These annular radial indentations press on the contact springs and bow them radially inward.
In this manner contact pins of only about 0.6 mm diameter can be provided with sockets with an external diameter of only about 1.5 mm. Thus an extraordinarily large number of contact spring sockets can be arranged next to each other in a very small space, and thereby high quality multicontact connectors can be produced at low cost.
In this method of manufacture the degree of deformation of the socket body determines the size of the annular indentations and thus the bowing of the contact springs, on which in turn the contact force depends.